Method and system for configuring and executing device drivers based on configuration requirements

• US 5,613,123 A
• Filed: 05/18/1995
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tsang, Michael H., Crick, Andrew P. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavis, John Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/444,218
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881

Abstract

A method and system for configuring and executing device drivers in a computer system. In a preferred embodiment, a device driver comprises a plurality of component drivers. Each component driver performs a function that may be used in accessing a device. The component drivers of a device driver are ordered from a top layer to a bottom layer. When accessing a device, the top layer component driver of the device driver is first invoked. Each component driver performs its function and invokes the next lower layer component driver to the bottom layer component driver, which interacts directly with the device. An operating system dynamically configures the device drivers at computer system startup. The operating system invokes each of a plurality of component drivers to determine based on device-specific information and configuration requirements of previously included component drivers whether the component driver should be selected to be included as a layer in a particular device driver. If selected, the component driver stores a reference to itself in a call-down table for the device driver and stores its configuration requirements with the unsatisfied configuration requirements of previously included component drivers. When accessing the device, if all configuration requirements for the device driver have been satisfied, the operating system first invokes the component driver referenced by the top reference in the call-down table. Each component driver in turn invokes the component driver referenced by the next lower reference in the call-down table.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for configuring a device driver from a plurality of component drivers by determining whether each of the plurality of component drivers should be included in the device driver, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

for each selected one of the plurality of component drivers,

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver;

determining whether the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements imposed by the component drivers that are already included in the device driver; and

when the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements, including the selected component driver in the device driver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements includes the step of invoking the selected component driver and having the invoked selected component driver determine whether the invoked selected component driver satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of including the selected component driver in the device driver includes the step of, when the invoked selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements, the invoked selected component driver include the invoked selected component driver in the device driver.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of including the selected component driver in the device driver includes the step of including the selected component driver as a layer in the device driver;

wherein a first of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a bottom layer of the device driver;

wherein each additional one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a higher layer of the device driver; and

wherein a last of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a top layer of the device driver.

10. The method of claim 1, further including the step of, for each given component driver included in the device driver, indicating the configuration requirements of any component driver that is already included in the device driver that the given component driver satisfies.

11. The method of claim 1, further including the step of, for each component driver included in the device driver, indicating any configuration requirements that the component driver must have satisfied by another component driver included in the device driver.

5. A method in a computer system for configuring and executing a device driver, the device driver being configured from a plurality of component drivers by determining whether each of the plurality of component drivers should be included in the device driver, each of the plurality of component drivers performing a function, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

for each selected one of the plurality of component drivers,

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver;

determining whether the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements imposed by the component drivers that are already included in the device driver; and

when the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements, including the selected component driver in the device driver; and

invoking and performing the function of each component driver that is part of the device driver.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the step of determining whether the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements includes the step of invoking the selected component driver and having the invoked selected component driver determine whether the invoked selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements;

and

wherein the step of including the selected component driver in the device driver includes the step of, when the invoked selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements, having the invoked selected component driver include the invoked selected component driver in the device driver.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein the step of including the selected component driver in the device driver includes the step of including the selected component driver as a layer in the device driver;

wherein a first one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a bottom layer of the device driver;

wherein each additional one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a higher layer of the device driver; and

wherein a last of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a top layer of the device driver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each component driver included in the device driver invokes the next lower layer component driver until the bottom layer component driver has been invoked.

12. The method of claim 5, further including the step of, for each component driver included in the device driver, indicating the configuration requirements imposed by any component driver that is already included in the device driver that the component driver satisfies.

13. The method of claim 5, further including the step of, for each component driver included in the device driver, indicating any configuration requirements that the component driver must have satisfied by another component driver included in the device driver.

9. A computer system for configuring a device driver from a plurality of component drivers by determining whether each selected one of the plurality of component drivers should be included in the device driver, the computer system comprising:

a plurality of component drivers;

a component driver selection routine for performing the following steps for each selected component driver;

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver;

determining whether the selected component driver satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements; and

when the selected component driver satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements, including the component driver in the device driver.

14. A method in a computer system for configuring a device driver from a plurality of component drivers by determining whether each of the plurality of component drivers should be included in the device driver, the device driver corresponding to a device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a type of the device; and

for each selected one of the plurality of component drivers,

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver and not satisfied by any other of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver;

determining whether the selected component driver should be included in the device driver based on the determined type of the device and the determined configuration requirements; and

including the selected component driver in the device driver when the selected component driver relates to the determined type of the device or when the selected component driver satisfies any of the determined configuration requirements.

15. The method of claim 14,

further including the step of invoking each of the plurality of component drivers;

wherein the step of determining configuration requirements includes the step of having the invoked selected component driver determine configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver and not satisfied by any other of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver;

wherein the step of determining whether the selected component driver should be included in the device driver includes the step of having the invoked selected component driver determine whether the invoked selected component driver should be included in the device driver based on the determined type of the device and the determined configuration requirements; and

wherein the step of including the selected component driver in the device driver includes the step of having the invoked selected component driver include the invoked component driver in the device driver when the invoked selected component driver relates to the determined type of the device or when the invoked selected component driver satisfies any of the determined configuration requirements.

16. The method of claim 14, further including the step of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver, indicating the configuration requirements of any of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver that the given component driver satisfies.

17. The method of claim 14, further including the step of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver, indicating any configuration requirements that the given component driver must have satisfied by another one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver.

18. The method of claim 14,

wherein the step of including the component driver in the device driver includes the step of including the component driver as a layer in the device driver;

wherein a first of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a bottom layer of the device driver;

wherein each additional of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a higher layer of the device driver; and

wherein a last of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a top layer of the device driver.

19. The method of claim 18, further including the steps of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver,

indicating the configuration requirements of ones of the component drivers, that are at lower layers of the device driver than the given component driver, that the given component driver satisfies;

and

indicating any configuration requirements that the given component driver must have satisfied by ones of the component drivers that are at higher layers of the device driver than the given component driver.

20. A method in a computer system for executing a device driver, the device driver being configured from a plurality of component drivers, the component drivers imposing configuration requirements, each of the plurality of component drivers performing a function, at least one component driver being included in the device driver, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining whether the configuration requirements imposed by each component driver included in the device driver have been satisfied; and

when the configuration requirements have been satisfied, invoking and performing the function of each of the component drivers that is included in the device driver.

21. A method in a computer system for executing a device driver, the device driver being configured from a plurality of component drivers, the component drivers imposing configuration requirements, each of the plurality of component drivers performing a function, at least two component drivers being part of the device driver, the component drivers comprising layers in the device driver, a first of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprising a bottom layer, each additional one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprising a higher layer, and a last of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprising a top layer, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining whether the configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is included in the device driver have been satisfied; and

when the configuration requirements have been satisfied, for each given one of component drivers that is included in the device driver starting with the component driver at the top layer of the device driver,

invoking the given component driver; and

performing the function of the given component driver.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein each of the component drivers that is included in the device driver invokes one of the component drivers at a next lower layer in the device driver until the component driver at the bottom layer of the device driver has been invoked.

23. A method in a computer system for configuring and executing a device driver, the device driver being configured from a plurality of component drivers by determining whether each of the plurality of component drivers should be included in the device driver, each of the plurality of component drivers performing a function, the device driver corresponding to a device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

determining a type of the device;

for each selected one of the plurality of component drivers,

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver and not satisfied by any other of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver;

determining whether the selected component driver should be included in the device driver based on the determined type of the device and the determined configuration requirements; and

including the selected component driver in the device driver when the selected component driver relates to the determined type of the device or when the selected component driver satisfies any of the determined configuration requirements;

determining whether the configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is included in the device driver have been satisfied; and

when the configuration requirements have been satisfied, invoking and performing the function of each of the component drivers that is included in the device driver.

24. The method of claim 23,

further including the step of invoking each selected one of the plurality of component drivers to determine whether the selected component driver should be included in the device driver;

wherein the step of determining configuration requirements includes the step of having the invoked selected component driver determine configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver and not satisfied by any other ones of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver;

wherein the step of determining whether the selected component driver should be included in the device driver includes the step of having the invoked selected component driver determine whether the invoked component selected driver should be included in the device driver based on the determined type of the device and the determined configuration requirements; and

wherein the step of including the selected component driver part of the device driver includes the step of having the invoked selected component driver include the invoked selected component driver in the device driver when the invoked selected component driver relates to the determined type of the device or when the invoked selected component driver satisfies any of the determined configuration requirements.

25. The method of claim 23, further including the step of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver, indicating the configuration requirements imposed by any of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver that the given component driver satisfies.

26. The method of claim 23, further including the step of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver, indicating any configuration requirements that the given component driver must have satisfied by another of the component drivers that is included in the device driver.

27. The method of claim 23,

wherein the step of making the selected component driver part of the device driver includes the step of including the selected component driver as a layer in the device driver;

wherein a first of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a bottom layer of the device driver;

wherein each additional one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a higher layer of the device driver; and

wherein a last of the component drivers that is included in the device driver comprises a top layer of the device driver.

28. The method of claim 27, further including the steps of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver,

indicating the configuration requirements of ones of the component drivers, at layers of the device driver that are lower than the layer of the given component driver, that the component driver satisfies;

and

indicating any configuration requirements that the given component driver must have satisfied by component drivers at layers in the device driver that are higher than the layer of the given component driver.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of, for each given one of the component drivers that are included in the device driver, invoking the component driver includes the step of, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device drivers, starting with the component driver at the top layer of the device driver, invoking the given component driver.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein each component driver included in the device driver invokes the component driver at the next lower layer of the device driver until the component driver at the bottom layer has been invoked.

31. A computer system comprising:

a device;

a device driver for the device;

a plurality of component drivers tier possible incorporation into the device driver; and

a component driver selection routine for determining whether each selected one of the component drivers should be made part of the device driver, said routine performing the steps of;

determining the type of the device;

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is already included in the device driver and not satisfied by any other of the component drivers that are already included in the device driver;

determining whether the selected component driver should be included in the device driver based on the determined type of the device and the determined configuration requirements; and

including the selected component driver in the device driver when the selected component driver relates to the determined type of the device or when the selected component driver satisfies any of the determined configuration requirements.

32. The computer system of claim 31, further comprising a device driver configuration routine for invoking each of the plurality of component drivers so that each invoked component driver can execute the component driver selection routine.

33. A computer system for executing a device driver, the device driver being configured from a plurality of component drivers, the component drivers imposing configuration requirements, each of the plurality of component drivers performing a function, the system comprising:

at least one of the component drivers being included in the device driver for performing the component driver function; and

an input-output system for;

determining whether the configuration requirements imposed by each of the component drivers that is included in the device driver have been satisfied; and

when the configuration requirements have been satisfied, for each given one of the component drivers that is included in the device driver, invoking the given component driver.

34. A method in a computer system for configuring a computer module from a plurality of component routines by determining whether each of the plurality of component routines should be included in the computer module, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

for each selected one of the plurality of component routines,

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component routines that is already included in the computer module;

determining whether the selected component routine satisfies a determined configuration requirement; and

when the selected component routine satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements, including the component routine in the computer module.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of determining whether the selected component routine satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements includes the step of invoking the selected component routine and having the invoked selected component routine determine whether the invoked selected component routine satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the step of including the component routine in the computer module includes the step of, when the invoked selected component routine satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements, having the invoked selected component routine include the invoked selected component routine in the computer module.

37. The method of claim 34,

wherein the step of including the selected component routine in the computer module includes the step of including the selected component routine as a layer in the computer module;

wherein a first of the component routines that is included in the computer module comprises a bottom layer of the computer module;

wherein each additional one of the component routines that is included in the computer module comprises a higher layer of the computer module; and

wherein a last of the component routines that is included in the computer module comprises a top layer of the computer module.

38. A method in a computer system for configuring and executing a computer program, the computer program being configured from a plurality of component programs by determining whether each of the plurality of component programs should be included in the computer program, each of the plurality of component programs performing a function, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

for each selected one of the plurality of component programs,

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component programs that is already included in the computer program;

determining whether the selected component program satisfies any of the determined configuration requirements; and

when the selected component program satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements, including the selected component program in the computer program; and

invoking and performing the function of each selected component program that are included in the computer program.

39. The method of claim 38,

wherein the step of determining whether the selected component program satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements includes the step of invoking the selected component program and having the invoked selected component program determine whether the invoked selected component program satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements;

and

wherein the step of including the selected component program in the computer program includes the step of, when the invoked selected component program satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements, having the invoked selected component program include the invoked selected component program in the computer program.

40. The method of claim 38,

wherein the step of including the selected component program in the computer program includes the step of including the selected component program as a layer in the computer program;

wherein a first of the component programs that is included in the computer program comprises a bottom layer of the computer program;

wherein each additional one of the component programs that is included in the computer program comprises a higher layer of the computer program; and

wherein a last of the component programs that is included in the computer program comprises a top layer of the computer program.

41. A computer system for configuring a computer module from a plurality of component routines by determining whether each of the plurality of component routines should be included in the computer module, the computer system comprising:

a plurality of component routines;

a component routine selector for performing the following steps for each of selected one of the component routines;

determining configuration requirements imposed by each of the component routines that is already included in the computer module;

determining whether the selected component routine satisfies at least one of the determined configuration requirements; and

when the selected component routine satisfies one of the determined configuration requirements, including the selected component routine in the computer module.